Gonzaga Waitlist -- odds?

[Anonymous]

Another K8 student with 89 HSPT and lots of ECs that was admitted from the WL a few years ago. We did write a f/u letter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No sure what the applicant pool was but my DS coming from K-8 catholic, he is catholic, A student high HSPT Math bit lower for reading good essay and WL. Very surprised. From Classmates 8 boys applied from his school only 1 got in but they have a sibling already at Gonzaga. Hope we get off the WL

That's very disheartening to hear. I have a DS who will apply next year, all 90+ grades but doesn't test well and will most likely be in the 60-70 HSPT range. Even coming from a K-8 now I worry he's got no shot.

HSPT prep

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No sure what the applicant pool was but my DS coming from K-8 catholic, he is catholic, A student high HSPT Math bit lower for reading good essay and WL. Very surprised. From Classmates 8 boys applied from his school only 1 got in but they have a sibling already at Gonzaga. Hope we get off the WL

I’m sorry to hear this. DS’s k-8 had a tough year a few cycles ago but 4 of 12 were accepted — 2 siblings and 2 95+HSPT/all As. One boy did get off the waitlist. I’d definitely have DS write a short letter if he’s still interested.

Already had to write an essay. Not writing any begging letter.

For college, it's called a 'letter of continued interest' and if you truly want to be considered you write it. It's become very common in the college landscape with deferrals and waitlisting happening at much much higher rates. This is when you suck up your pride and have the kid write it if it is truly his first choice.

This is about Gonzaga college high school, not Gonzaga University.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No sure what the applicant pool was but my DS coming from K-8 catholic, he is catholic, A student high HSPT Math bit lower for reading good essay and WL. Very surprised. From Classmates 8 boys applied from his school only 1 got in but they have a sibling already at Gonzaga. Hope we get off the WL

I’m sorry to hear this. DS’s k-8 had a tough year a few cycles ago but 4 of 12 were accepted — 2 siblings and 2 95+HSPT/all As. One boy did get off the waitlist. I’d definitely have DS write a short letter if he’s still interested.

Already had to write an essay. Not writing any begging letter.

You can’t hope to get off the WL and then refuse to do the one thing that will help you get in. If they know for certain you will accept if offered, that is a huge plus.

This and I’m envisioning a very short, 2-3 sentence email expressing his (written by DS) continued desire to attend. Not a whole new essay at all.

Nowhere did I see that it was a quick couple sentence email. I believe it asked for a letter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No sure what the applicant pool was but my DS coming from K-8 catholic, he is catholic, A student high HSPT Math bit lower for reading good essay and WL. Very surprised. From Classmates 8 boys applied from his school only 1 got in but they have a sibling already at Gonzaga. Hope we get off the WL

I’m sorry to hear this. DS’s k-8 had a tough year a few cycles ago but 4 of 12 were accepted — 2 siblings and 2 95+HSPT/all As. One boy did get off the waitlist. I’d definitely have DS write a short letter if he’s still interested.

Already had to write an essay. Not writing any begging letter.

You can’t hope to get off the WL and then refuse to do the one thing that will help you get in. If they know for certain you will accept if offered, that is a huge plus.

This and I’m envisioning a very short, 2-3 sentence email expressing his (written by DS) continued desire to attend. Not a whole new essay at all.

Nowhere did I see that it was a quick couple sentence email. I believe it asked for a letter.

your WL offer asked you to write a letter?

[Anonymous]

FWIW, I was at Gonzaga today where I overheard that Gonzaga does not expect much movement on the WL. Yes, I heard that but I'm thinking that's the goal every admission cycle, so not really any info at all.

[Anonymous]

How could they possibly know this already? Decisions just went out on Friday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How could they possibly know this already? Decisions just went out on Friday.

"doesn't expect much WL movement" does not equal a known fact. But maybe a best guess based on history, experience, other things, you think?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No sure what the applicant pool was but my DS coming from K-8 catholic, he is catholic, A student high HSPT Math bit lower for reading good essay and WL. Very surprised. From Classmates 8 boys applied from his school only 1 got in but they have a sibling already at Gonzaga. Hope we get off the WL

That's very disheartening to hear. I have a DS who will apply next year, all 90+ grades but doesn't test well and will most likely be in the 60-70 HSPT range. Even coming from a K-8 now I worry he's got no shot.

I am extrapolating from a sample of one but my sense is that Gonzaga places less weight on HSPT and grades than other schools. Relatively more important is a pattern of extra-curricular activities that demonstrate a commitment to Gonzaga values and which provide leadership and community service opportunities. The activities our son was doing throughout middle school made him a great fit for the school and this helped him overcome weaknesses in the rest of his packet.

Reading this thread it seems there is SOME consistency on HSPT/GPA for acceptances, but also some outliers. I am curious how much weight Gonzaga places on the essays. Does a well written and thorough essay truly improve your chances of acceptance? That might outweigh your 60-70 HSPT, but not sure how much they actually consider that. I would also say teacher recommendations are likely very important.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No sure what the applicant pool was but my DS coming from K-8 catholic, he is catholic, A student high HSPT Math bit lower for reading good essay and WL. Very surprised. From Classmates 8 boys applied from his school only 1 got in but they have a sibling already at Gonzaga. Hope we get off the WL

That's very disheartening to hear. I have a DS who will apply next year, all 90+ grades but doesn't test well and will most likely be in the 60-70 HSPT range. Even coming from a K-8 now I worry he's got no shot.

I am extrapolating from a sample of one but my sense is that Gonzaga places less weight on HSPT and grades than other schools. Relatively more important is a pattern of extra-curricular activities that demonstrate a commitment to Gonzaga values and which provide leadership and community service opportunities. The activities our son was doing throughout middle school made him a great fit for the school and this helped him overcome weaknesses in the rest of his packet.

Reading this thread it seems there is SOME consistency on HSPT/GPA for acceptances, but also some outliers. I am curious how much weight Gonzaga places on the essays. Does a well written and thorough essay truly improve your chances of acceptance? That might outweigh your 60-70 HSPT, but not sure how much they actually consider that. I would also say teacher recommendations are likely very important.

Essay very important because no interview

Also grades and ECs and athletics and legacy status

Last is HSPT

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How could they possibly know this already? Decisions just went out on Friday.

"doesn't expect much WL movement" does not equal a known fact. But maybe a best guess based on history, experience, other things, you think?

You are right.

The Admissions people have years of experience and as a result a sense of what makes this particular group of students offered admission from other years. This might start with a sense of the percentage for whom Gonzaga is their number one choice. As opposed to those comparing the Gonzaga opportunity to that offered at other schools.

A higher number than usual of highly enthusiastics and highly probables should mean less of a need to go to the Waitlist because Admissions missed its Yield estimate on the low side.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No sure what the applicant pool was but my DS coming from K-8 catholic, he is catholic, A student high HSPT Math bit lower for reading good essay and WL. Very surprised. From Classmates 8 boys applied from his school only 1 got in but they have a sibling already at Gonzaga. Hope we get off the WL

That's very disheartening to hear. I have a DS who will apply next year, all 90+ grades but doesn't test well and will most likely be in the 60-70 HSPT range. Even coming from a K-8 now I worry he's got no shot.

I am extrapolating from a sample of one but my sense is that Gonzaga places less weight on HSPT and grades than other schools. Relatively more important is a pattern of extra-curricular activities that demonstrate a commitment to Gonzaga values and which provide leadership and community service opportunities. The activities our son was doing throughout middle school made him a great fit for the school and this helped him overcome weaknesses in the rest of his packet.

Reading this thread it seems there is SOME consistency on HSPT/GPA for acceptances, but also some outliers. I am curious how much weight Gonzaga places on the essays. Does a well written and thorough essay truly improve your chances of acceptance? That might outweigh your 60-70 HSPT, but not sure how much they actually consider that. I would also say teacher recommendations are likely very important.

If you ask the admissions office, they will tell you that everything is equally important. We don't have access to any useful information beyond that.

[Anonymous]

Anyone know if there has been movement on the waitlist this year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gonzaga admits close to 250 boys each academic school year. With that many spots to fill, I would suspect that there would be plenty of movement on the waitlist. As others suggested, write a letter to admissions, letting them know that Gonzaga is your first choice.

Actually, Gonzaga enrolls 250 boys.

Based on history, they offer admittance to more than 250 boys knowing that not everyone they offer admittance to will enroll. So they over-admit.

If fewer boys than they expect enroll, they will go to the Wait List.

Wait Lists are a long shot.

Sorry got the terminology wrong, but I meant enroll. So depending on what their typical yield may be, they will admit, say, 275 students, and only 225 enroll, that would be an 81% yield. I doubt their yield is even that good, so they probably admit more than 275. Either way, with such a large student body, it is more likely kids will move off the waiting list.

Understand that last year it got more acceptances than expected so this year so weighed lowering acceptance numbers this year to not have too big of a class. And this year it got more applicants than it ever had so is an especially hard year for those applying.

[Anonymous]

Plenty of kids got off wait list last year and plenty more will this year. If it's really your son's first choice, let the school know and be prepared to put down deposit immediately if spot opens up.
Also, it's true admissions considers variety of factors, but HSPT is heavily weighted. Essays can be edited by parents. The test can only be taken by the kid. Teacher recs are absolutely critical, but not standardized and universally comparable.